Folding bed



May 5, 1925.

M. H. CONRAD FGLDING BED 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 12, 1921 In: [I-

May 5, 1925. M. H. CONRAD FOLDING BED- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 12. 1921 swam Mo's,-

To all whom it may concern.

Patented May 5, 1925.

, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FOLDING BED.

Application filecl Aug ust 12, 1921. Serial No. 491,742.

Be it known that I, MADISON Lexington, in the county of Davidson and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and-useful Folding Bed, of which the following is a specification.

This invention aims to provide a bed which may be folded readily into couch form, novel means being provided for advancing the foldable bed frame proper, with respect to the main frame, to the end that theoccupant 'of the bed may get the air, novel means being provided for assisting in theretraction and advancement of the bed frame, and novel means beingprovided for supporting the outer end of the bed frame.

It is within the province ofthe disclosure,

. changes in the specific form depicted and described, without avoiding the charge "of infringement or departing from the spirit of the invention. i p

In the drawings :'Figure 1 shows in longitudinal section, a device constructed in accordance with the invention, the bed frame being extended; Figure 2 is a top plan wherein parts are broken away; Figure 3 is a fragmental top plan showing the outer end of the bed frame; Figure 4 is a front elevation, the device having been fOldGdlIltO couch form; Figure 5 1s a vertlcal section,

the device being foldedinto couch form.

The bedstead includes a main frame 1 comprising sides 2 and a back 3. cleats 4 abut against the sides 2,and inner cleats abut against the outer cleats 4, the innercleatsb being cut away at 6 to form recesses. Securing elements 7 connect. the cleats 4 and 5 to the sides 2. The lower ends of radius arms 8 extend into the recesses 6 and are mounted to swing on the, securing elements 7. Compression springs 9 are seated in the inner cleats 5 adjacent to the a rear ends thereof.

Afoldable bed frame is provided, the same lncluding a U-sh'aped member 10.

. Pivot elements 11 connect the side portions of the member 10 with the upper ends of the radius arms 8. The rearmost pivot elernents 11 have eyes 12 whereunto the upper ends of. retractile springs 14 are connected,

Outer a q the lower ends of the springs being secured I-I. CONRAD, a citizen of the Unlted States, residingat.

in eyes 15 on the outer cleats 4. A head piece 16 is mounted to swing on the rearmost pivot elements 11'. Outwardly offset guides 17 upstand from the sides of the member 10 of the bed frame. The side por-, tions of the member 10 of the bed frame are connected at their outer ends by adepending.

The member 10 carries a cross bar 18. stop 91.

The bed frame embodies intermediate members 19united by hinges 20 with the side portions of the memberlO of the bed cut away (Fig. 2) at 25, and the vertical.

flanges are overlapped on the vertical flanges of the members 19, the said overlapped portions'of themembers 24 and 19 eing connected by pivot elements 26. Abutments- 27 are carried by the side portionsof the members 19 and cooperate with the ends of the member 24, in a way to be explained hereinafter. Bars 28 are attached to the sides of the member 24 and are beveled as at 29. The bars 28 are connected by a slat 30 which is beveled at 31, to correspond with the bevel 29 of the bars 28. A cross piece 32 is attached to the outer end of the member-24 and carries a rail 33 which is longer than the cross piece 32 (note Fig. 4).

A foot piece 34 islocated above the outer member 24 of the bed frame and includes side arms 35 pivoted intermediate their ends at 36 to the sides of the member 24.

The lower ends of the side arms 35 are pivoted at 38'to inwardly extended links 37 which are pivoted at 39 to depending props 40, theprops being pivotally mounted intermediate their. ends as at 41., on the sides of the member 24. The sides of the member-24 carry abutments, 42 wherewith the upper ends of the props 40 are adapted to engage.

Suppose that the bed is extended, as shown in Figure 1. Then, the rearmost linksS engage the inner cleats. 5 atthe forward ends of the corresponding recessesh, and downward movement. ofthe member. 10 is prevented. The rear ends of the members l9 engage the forward ends of the member 10 and the rear ends of the member 2st engage the abutments 27, the outer end of the bed frame being supported on the props 40. One of "the foremost links 8 engages the stop 91.

\Vhen the bed frame is to be folded, the head piece 16 is swung in the direction indicated by the arrow A in Figure l, and the foot piece 34 is swung in the direction of the arrow B, these parts then serving to hold the mattress (not shown) on the bed frame. Vhen the foot piece sa is swung in the direction indicated by the arrow B, the links 37 carry the props n) into approximate parallelism,with the side portions of the'outer 'U-shaped member 2%.

The bed frame is thrust inwardly, the radius arms 8 swinging inwardly, the inner member 10 of the bed frame resting on the cleats 5, and the springs 9 being compressed by themember 10 in its downward and inward movement. At this point, the opera tion of the springs 14 and 9 may profitably be dwelt upon. \Vhen the bed frame is retracted, the springs 14- are under tension, and when the operator starts to pull the frame forward, the springs 14.- aid in the forward movement of the frame. T he springs 9, it will be recalled, are compressed by the member 10 of the bed frame, when the frame is retracted, and the springs 9 constitute an important means supplementary to the springs 14-, for initiating the outward n'iovement of the bed frame into the position shown in Figure 1.. Especial attention is directed to the fact that the radius arms 8 carry the head piece it out-- wardly and forwardly, away from the back of the main frame. its a consequence. the head of the occupant of the bed located well toward the frontof the main frame l and not adjacent to the back 3, it being clear that the occupant of the bed can get more air and better air, owing to the construction and o aeration above described. In other words, the head of the person who is recumbent on the bed is-not thrust back into the pocket or con'ipartment formed by the sides 2 and the back 3.

\Vhen the member 10 is folded backwardly into the position above described, and shown in Figure 5, the members 19 are swung backwardly and rest upon the guides 17, the hinges 20 permitting the necessary swinging movement. The outer member upstands and rests against the back 3, the structure then being converted into a couch, the cross bar 18 giving a finish. to the lower front portion of the couch as will be evident from Figures 5 and 4, the rail 3-3 extending between the sides 2 at the extrem rear portions thereof. The slats 22 are adapted to support a seat (not shown) and the member 24 is adapted to support a back (not shown). The slat 30 is disposed above the slat 23 and defines the angle between the back and the seat, the back being given 'iln proper pitch, because the bars are beveled as at 29 and because the'slat 30 is beveled as at 81.

I claim 1. In a bedstead, a main frame comprising sides and a back, a bed frame foldabic with respect to the main frame and including an inner member, radius arms pivotaily supported at their lower ends upon the main frame and pivoted at their upper ends to the inner member, the radius arms being upwardly and forwardly inclined when the bed frame is advanced, means for limiting the forward movement of the radius arms, a retractile spring extended between the inner member and one of the sides of the main frame, the spring being upwardly and rear wardly inclined, whereby the spring will be tensioned continuously throughout the entire interval during which the inner mem ber moves rearwardly and a substantially vertical second spring compressed between the inner member and the main frame when the bed frame is retracted, the second spring facilitating the upward movement of the bed frame initially, when the operator starts the forward movement of the bed frame, and at a time when the first specified spring is so nearly in a horizontal position that it has but little effect in moving the inner member upwardly.

2. A bed comprising a main frame; a bed frame including an inner member, an outer member, and an intermediate member locatedv between the inner and outer members and hinged thereto, the intermediate member being carried and supported by the inner and outer members, a foot piece pivoted to the outer member, a prop pivoted to the outer member; means for connecting the prop operatively with the foot piece; ahead piece pivoted to the inner member; and radius arms pivoted to the main frame and to the inner member, the inner member being movable into retracted position on the radius arms, the intermediate member being foldable to lie above the inner member, and the outer member beingfoldable into a position approximately at right angles to the intern'iediate member, the head piece being :toldable to lie between the inner and intermediate members, and the foot piece being foldable into a depending position behind the out-er member, the main frame constituting a support for the outer member, the main frame, the outer member and the intermediate members cooperating to form a couch.

S. A bed comprising a main frame including sides and a back; a bed frame including an inner member; radius arms pivoted to the main frame and to the inner member and ltlli constituting means whereby the inner mem ber may be moved rearwa-rdly; a cross bar depending from the inner member and adapted to be received between the sides of the main frame When the inner member is retracted, and to be located adjacent to the forward edges of the sides, the cross bar being so constructed as to occupy the space below the forward edge of the inner member and to give a finished appearance to the bed when the inner member is moved rearwardly; an intermediate member hinged to the inner member and adapted to be folded backwardly to overlie the inner member; a cleat carried by the intermediate member adjacent to the outer end thereof; an outer member hinged to the intermediate member and adapted to be disposed in upstanding re lation to the intermediate member when the intermediate member is folded baelnvardly and reai'wardly; and a cleat carried by the outer member, the cleats coasting to define an angle between the outer and intermediate members when the outer member is disposed in upstanding relation to the intermediate member.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MADISON 1-1. oonniin.

Witnesses:

EULDA L. SEARCH, MASON B. LAWTON. 

